Scripture: At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? Or have you not read in the law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. And if you had known what this means, I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.” Matthew 12:1-8 ESV
Observation: Not long after inviting his attentive audience to draw near to him and find rest for their weary souls, Jesus is confronted by the Pharisees about his disciples not observing an appropriate Sabbath rest. Under the Mosaic Law, which required farmers to leave the edges of their grain fields unharvested for the sojourner and foreigner, Jesus’ disciples lawfully gleaned some heads of grain while en route to the next village of their Galilean ministry. The issue for the religious leaders centered on their perceived violation of the Sabbath. And once again, Jesus unnerves the gatekeepers of the law based on two counterpoints and a declaration of authority.
Reasoning that their revered ancestor, David, ate consecrated bread and that the law makes allowance for priests to profane the Sabbath to fulfill their priestly duties, Jesus (the Son of David) then makes his seeming heretical statement of authority:
- He exceeds the sanctity of their temple (because he is the last temple of worship).
- He (the Son of Man) is the Lord of the Sabbath.
So Jesus admonishes these self-righteous religious leaders by appealing to the 8th-century BCE prophet, Hosea, who declared Yahweh’s denouncement of Israel and Judah, “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings” (Hosea 6:6).
Of note, the Hebrew word hesed, translated as “steadfast love,” includes the understanding of “mercy,” for our Lord expresses his steadfast love with mercy.
Takeaway: By exposing their callous hearts, Jesus refutes these prideful and legalistic priests, who repeatedly abuse the law’s intent. They are all about observing the law—at least those elements they seem to have mastered. But they lack an understanding of God’s mercy. Still, if they had possessed authentic knowledge of Yahweh founded in a loving relationship with him, like their colleague Nicodemus, they would see that their longed-for Messiah stands before them. Sadly, their thorough knowledge and observance of the law have proven worthless in transforming their hearts and minds—which is where its application should begin before holding others accountable.
So what about us? How do we avoid this trap? Education is a worthy pursuit, but only if inculcated into every aspect of our lives with humility and grace. Unfortunately, the church has a sordid history of highly educated leaders who have strayed from our faith’s basic tenets or misapplied its praxis—whether to control others or pursue worldly passions. Hence, the challenge for all of us is to discern our true motives, for we will deceive ourselves unless we submit to the scrutiny of the Holy Spirit with a teachable heart that desires to honor and please our Savior.
Still, showing mercy does not mean we wink away sins that Scripture rebukes, for that would be unloving. But it is also unloving to harshly or unsympathetically call out others about their struggle with sin—particularly if we have not removed the “plank from our eye.” Moreover, to truly show mercy, we must offer a different kind of sacrifice to God: our time and resources to help other sinners like us find freedom in Christ, the One who is greater than the temple and who is Lord of the Sabbath. In him, we find mercy and grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:16).
Prayer: Father God, we thank you for your Son, who, by his sacrificial love for us manifested in his substitutionary death, invoked your mercy and loving-kindness toward us. As you know, we sometimes struggle to receive his and your grace and compassion and pay it forward to others. So would you please help us to learn what it means to offer a different kind of sacrifice to you based on your mercy and grace that flow through us to others? Amen.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling
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